Edward a



Patented May 28. 1867.

E. A. TURNER.

Car Coupling.

Nor 65,310.

Witnesse s= @niirh gimme gaunt @ffirr.

EDWARD A. TURNER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND JOHN MORRISSEY, OF SAME PLACE.

Letters Patent No. 65,310, dated May 28, 1867.

IMPROVED OAR-GOUPLING.

@5112 Stimuli marsh in in flgrse ram 332mm anti making wt [if figs tame.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, EDWARD A. TURNER, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Oar-Couplings; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a portion of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a car-coupling constructed according to my invention.

Figure 2, a plan or top view of the same, with the coupling-link disconnected from thedraw-head.

Figure 3 is a detached view of the coupling-pin which constitutes a portion of my invention.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

This invention consists in the combination, with a suitable draw-head and coupling-pin, of a coupling-link of peculiar construction, whereby the longitudinal play or movement of the link within the draw-heads, when the cars are connected or coupled together, is very considerably diminished, without in any way impairing the automatic action of the coupling or the convenience with which the same may be manipulated in disconnecting the cars.

To enable others to understand the construction and operation of my invention, I will proceed to describe it with reference to the drawings. V

The draw-head attached to each car is represented at A, and is constructed with a longitudinal raised portion, a, upon its upper side, in such manner that a recess, a, may be formed in the upper part of the interior of the draw-head, as shown in fig. 1, in order to allow the backward and upward movement of the coupling-pin B in automatically coupling the cars together, as will hereinafter be fully set forth. Formed upon or otherwise 'securely attached to the upper side of the draw-head A, immediately in front of the raised portion a thereof,

is a saddle-piece, Z1, the top of which has formed in it a broad rectangular groove, 6, and which is furnished, at or near its centre, with a vertical hole, a, which may be of circular form,'with two notches 0 formed in the opposite sides thereof, as shown in fig. 2. The coupling-pin B, shown separately in fig. 3, is made in two parts, d

and e, the lowermost part cZ being of cylindrical shape, and hinged or pivoted at its upper extremity to the lower extremity of the upper part e of the said pin by means of a transverse pivot, so that the lower portion of the pin is free to swing or tilt when required, as hereinafter set forth. This pin Bis furnished with a head, f, which is so shaped as to fit into the groove 6 when the pin 13 is in its place, and is furthermore provided with longitudinal ribsf at its opposite sides, which are designed to pass into the notches a and prevent the coupling-pin from turning around. The head-of the aforesaid pin may, furthermore, be provided with a ring or knob, f*, of any suitable kind, which serves as a kind of handle by which the coupling-pin may be withdrawn when desired. Formed in the under side of the draw-head A is a vertical longitudinal slot, g, into which the lowermost. end of the coupling-pin extends, and when the coupling is in use rests against it, the said lower portion of the couplingpin being by these means sustained at each end against the strain exerted upon it by the link C, as herein presently set forth. The link 0 may be of any suitable oblong shape, and is furnished with two laterally projecting lugs or ears h, and, when desired, with a transverse strengthening brace, i. Inasmuch as the position of these cars it upon the link constitutes a distinguishing feature of my invention, such position requires particular explanation.

The aforesaid ears or lugs it, instead of being situated at or near the centre of the link, which would give an equal length of link upon each side of the said ears, and thus defeat the object of this featureof my invention, as will presently appear, are situated near one end thereof, as shown in figs. 1 and 2, and at such a distance therefrom that-when the said end of the link is thrust into the threat is of the draw-head, until the ears hstrike the forward end thereof, the aforesaid end of the link will extend into the draw-head just far enough to permit the couplingpi'n C to be thrust or passed vertically downward through the same, so that the several parts are brought intothe position represented in fig. 1, the coupling-pin B preventing'the link from being withdrawn from the drawhead, at the same time that the lugs or ears 7L prevent it from being pushed farther inward, so that by these means any longitudinal play or movement of the short end of the link within the drawhead is efl'ectually prevented. The draw-head attached to the adjacen car, together with the coupling-pin thereof, are identical in construction with that just described, and the coupling-pin being placed in the said draw-head in aposition corresponding to that shown in fig. 1, and hereinbefore explained, the cars are made toapproach each other until the longer or outer portion of the link 0 is forced or thrust into the throat of the coupling, and striking the lower or pivoted portion of the pin B, tilts the same backward and upward far enough to allow-the said link to pass underneath the said pin, whereupon the said pivoted loirerportion of the pin siviiigs'back by its own weight to its/original vertical position, and passing through the link secures it to the draw-head, and thus connects or couples the cars together. I Inasmuch as thelonger portion of the link 0 is necessarily of aconsiderably greater length than the opposite end' or portion thereof, in order to tiltthe lower portion of the coupling-pin, as just set forth, it follows that the said longerportion of the link have a longitudinal movement in the drawhead to which .it is attached, the said movement being of course proportioned to the length of the aforesaid portion of the link, but as any longitudinal movement of theg shorter portion of the link within the draw-head with which-it is connected is prevented by the ears or lugsh, as hereinbefore fully explained, it follows that the play or movementof the link within the two draw-heads, which it serves to connect or couple together, is but one-half what it would be if the ears h'were situated at the centre of the link, and the looseness in the connection of the cars is of course reduced in a proportionate degree, at the same time that the construction of the coupling-pin C with a joint, as herein before fully set forth, enables the said pin to be manipulated by hand in attaching the shorter portion of the link to its draw-head, and to operate automatically in securing the longer portion of the said link to the draw-head with which it is connected with equalfacility.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The coupling-link C, furnished near one end with the laterally projecting ears or lugs k, in combination with thedraw-head A, and a suitable coupling-pin, substantially as herein set forth for the purpose specified.

'E. A. TURNER.

Witnesses:

A. LE OLERc, J. W. Coouns. 

